DEEP RIVER, CT – SMT International, LLC, the manufacturer of AMTECH solder paste and process support products, has just announced the hiring of Edward Watkins as a Senior Research Chemist.

An accomplished chemist with decades of experience in research, product development and analytical testing, Mr. Watkins will utilize his extensive background and experience to assist in the development of innovative solder pastes, fluxes, and process support products utilized in circuits assembly.

Watkins brings to SMT International an impressive educational background, which includes degrees from Susquehanna University (BA) and Pennsylvania State University (PhD), as well as serving as a full-time associate research scientist at Yale University. Watkins’ resume also includes working for global corporate leaders such as Pfizer, Dow Chemical and Amgen. These and other experiences have allowed Watkins to take a leadership role in product research and development, intellectual property rights and patents, technical writing, manufacturing and QC process development, regulatory investigations and filings, as well as managing teams of research scientists.

According to Edward Watkins, “joining the AMTECH team is an exciting opportunity to further my professional development and to address new challenges. AMTECH provides a strong foundation with its innovative SMT solder products and strong technical service capabilities. My goal is to help AMTECH reach even higher levels by developing innovative solutions involving solder pastes, fluxes and other process support products. Addressing the increasingly complex requirements of circuits assemblers is becoming a dynamic and evolving process due to the overall drive towards miniaturization.”

Leigh Gesick, President of SMT International, is equally excited to see Watkins an important addition to the AMTECH organization. “Edward brings invaluable expertise that spans various industries, providing an enormous breadth of knowledge that will help AMTECH maintain its leadership position in new product development, manufacturing, and quality assurance. I am excited to have Edward Watkins join a team effort to improve solder joint reliability in increasingly challenging application environments involving fine-pitch SMT, nanotech, and other emerging technologies,” notes Gesick.